Oxygen supply records were fudged: Gorakhpur DM’s report

A team of doctors checking a child admitted at the BRD Medical College GORAKHPUR: In a disclosure that is set to open a can of worms, the local administration has found that there was overwriting in the log book related to purchase and re-filling of oxygen cylinders at Baba Raghav Das hospital.

The inquiry report submitted by the Gorakhpur district magistrate has held supplier Pushpa Sales responsible for stopping the supply of liquid oxygen and raised a question about the absence of the then principal Dr R K Mishra and head of anaesthesia department, Dr Satish Kumar, from the college on August 10. Dr Kumar was responsible for the maintenance of continuous flow of oxygen to the hospital wards.

At least 30 kids died in 48 hours at BRD Medical College’s Nehru Hospital on August 10 and 11. Oxygen supply remained disrupted on August 10 evening, though the state government has said this was not the reason for the deaths. The report is mum on whether breakdown in oxygen supply was responsible for the deaths.

According to the Gorakhpur DM’s report, Dr Kumar and chief pharmacist Gajanan Jaiswal wilfully did not maintain the record of purchase of oxygen cylinders. Dr Kumar never inspected the log book or signed it. "There are multiple instances of overwriting in the stock book of oxygen cylinder at the BRD hospital. Even the log book which is supposed to be maintained by Dr Satish Kumar never had any signature or thumb impressions," the report says, adding that anomalies in cylinders’ record logbook points to financial anomalies.